POA members vote “Yes” for Nov 30th strike

POA members working in special hospitals have voted “Yes” to strike action over pensions on November 30th.

They voted 75% in favour, on a turnout of 24%. Prison officers are forbidden by law to take strike action, however nursing and other staff at the secure facilities are not covered by the same anti-union legislation.

A senior POA official told UnionNews: “This is the first time we have balloted our members in the special hospitals and they clearly believe that taking strike action to defend their pensions is their only option right now.

“There’s a consensus among all the negotiators from all the unions involved that the government is still unwilling to put something tangible on the table to try to resolve the dispute. Only when they do, will we consider withdrawing strike action.”

POA reps and officials will meet before the strike day next week to discuss any provisions for emergency cover inside the special hospitals.

The POA is the 26th union to join the TUC’s Mass Day of Action against the Coalition’s proposals to cut public sector pensions and require workers to pay more in contributions. More details here